# United States Trade Representative

The United States trade representative is the head of the Office of the United States Trade Representative and is the principal trade advisor to the president of the United States. The trade representative is responsible for managing and the day-to-day operations of the office. The trade representative is nominated by the president of the United States and, following a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance, is confirmed by the Senate. The United States trade representative and deputy United States trade representatives (DUSTR) carry the rank of ambassador.
The trade representative is a Cabinet-level position, though not technically within the Cabinet, as is the case with office heads not of US departments but rather of offices contained within the Executive Office of the President. The trade representative is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule and thus earns the salary prescribed for that level $246,400, as of January 2024.

## History of the United States trade representative

Trade negotiations became more complicated in the twentieth century with the rise of multilateral organizations and technological advances allowing for more commerce. As a result, the organization of the U.S. government (with Congress in charge of regulating foreign commerce and the executive branch in charge of treaties) became less efficient and in 1962 Congress passed a bill calling for the president to appoint a special representative for trade negotiations who would make suggestions to the president on the matters of trade. In the 1970s, Congress expanded this position, making it more accountable to Congress (the position has been called "a creature of Congress"), and made it cabinet-level. Finally, in 1980 the position was renamed the United States trade representative.
The Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 elevated the position's role to "coordinate trade policy, serve as the president's principal trade advisor and trade 'spokesperson', and lead U.S. international trade negotiations". It also "required the USTR to report to both the president and Congress".

## List of United States trade representatives

| # | Officeholder | Term start | Term end | Days in office | President(s) |
| 1 | Christian Herter | December 10, 1962 | December 30, 1966 | 4 years, 20 days | John F. Kennedy |
| 1 | Christian Herter | December 10, 1962 | December 30, 1966 | 4 years, 20 days | Lyndon Johnson |
| 2 | William Roth | March 24, 1967 | January 20, 1969 | 1 year, 302 days | Lyndon Johnson |
| 3 | Carl Gilbert | August 6, 1969 | September 21, 1971 | 2 years, 46 days | Richard Nixon |
| 4 | William Eberle | November 12, 1971 | December 24, 1974 | 3 years, 42 days | Richard Nixon |
| 5 | Frederick Dent | March 26, 1975 | January 20, 1977 | 1 year, 300 days | Gerald Ford |
| 6 | Robert Strauss | March 30, 1977 | August 17, 1979 | 2 years, 140 days | Jimmy Carter |
| 7 | Reubin Askew | October 1, 1979 | December 31, 1980 | 1 year, 91 days | Jimmy Carter |
| 8 | Bill Brock | January 23, 1981 | April 29, 1985 | 4 years, 96 days | Ronald Reagan |
| 9 | Clayton Yeutter | July 1, 1985 | January 20, 1989 | 3 years, 203 days | Ronald Reagan |
| 10 | Carla Hills | February 6, 1989 | January 20, 1993 | 3 years, 349 days | George H. W. Bush |
| 11 | Mickey Kantor | January 22, 1993 | April 12, 1996 | 3 years, 81 days | Bill Clinton |
| — | Charlene Barshefsky Acting: 1996–1997 | April 12, 1996 | March 18, 1997 | 340 days | Bill Clinton |
| 12 | Charlene Barshefsky Acting: 1996–1997 | April 12, 1996 | January 20, 2001 | 4 years, 283 days | Bill Clinton |
| 13 | Robert Zoellick | February 7, 2001 | February 22, 2005 | 4 years, 15 days | George W. Bush |
| — | Peter Allgeier Acting | February 23, 2005 | May 16, 2005 | 113 days | George W. Bush |
| 14 | Rob Portman | May 17, 2005 | May 29, 2006 | 1 year, 12 days | George W. Bush |
| 15 | Susan Schwab | June 8, 2006 | January 20, 2009 | 2 years, 196 days | George W. Bush |
| — | Peter Allgeier Acting | January 21, 2009 | March 17, 2009 | 55 days | Barack Obama |
| 16 | Ron Kirk | March 18, 2009 | March 15, 2013 | 3 years, 362 days | Barack Obama |
| — | Demetrios Marantis Acting | March 15, 2013 | May 23, 2013 | 100 days | Barack Obama |
| — | Miriam Sapiro Acting | May 23, 2013 | June 21, 2013 | 28 days | Barack Obama |
| 17 | Michael Froman | June 21, 2013 | January 20, 2017 | 3 years, 213 days | Barack Obama |
| — | Maria Pagan Acting | January 20, 2017 | March 1, 2017 | 40 days | Donald Trump |
| — | Stephen Vaughn Acting | March 2, 2017 | May 15, 2017 | 74 days | Donald Trump |
| 18 | Robert Lighthizer | May 15, 2017 | January 20, 2021 | 3 years, 250 days | Donald Trump |
| — | Maria Pagan Acting | January 20, 2021 | March 18, 2021 | 57 days | Joe Biden |
| 19 | Katherine Tai | March 18, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | 3 years, 334 days | Joe Biden |
| — | Juan Millán Acting | January 20, 2025 | present | | Donald Trump (2025–present) |